02-28-2022, 03:02 PM
The woman was not as old as some might have expected the landlady to be. She looked from the constable to the other two with a very scrutinizing eye and leaned in slightly to them. "You look nothing alike." Her figure leaned back to straighten herself, "but I know that doesn't mean much. Some people are lucky and get to chose their family. I will say, while I may trust you for now, I have had people claim relations because they thought they could come and go and be up to things. While that means you will have visitations that do not require my permission, you will still stick to the rules and if I catch you in a lie..." She looked towards Nettie. "Out, instantly."
She put on a small professional smile to Elijah. "Since you brought them, I will put my faith in you. You've always been respectable to the girls here. You may all enter and I'll explain this place and the rules, since I do have a room. We can discuss payment afterwards." Her head turned slightly to look at them before she began to walk.
The inside was nice made of a dark wood for the walls and elegant floral wallpaper. She moved slowly and kept looking back to make certain they followed closely behind. "As Constable Crane told you, I am Helen Clarke. I've ran this place since my mother decided to retire four years ago. She built this place after suffering a lot of cruelty from the town when she came here with child and no husband. She had been married but my father died during their travels. It took inviting the priest who married them to prove her story and let her regain some dignity. Since then she has made a sanctuary for women who would need it, for whatever reason. We do not allow degenerate behavior though. No boys are allowed inside unless it is a doctor or relative. If it is a relative the door to their room remains open at all times. We ask women not to stay out past curfew of 10 o'clock. And I think that is far more than fair. If you try to return home later you best have a very good excuse or it may be a strike on your record. Three strikes and you are out."
She gestured around as they found a parlor with a few chairs and table as well as a bookshelf full of a variety of books. The woman then guided them to the dining room which was bigger and made to hold around twenty people, they could see a modest kitchen from the door on the opposite side. Her hand gestured to a door that was on the opposite end of the hallway with a view to the living room and stairs up. "That is my room, I always stay up until after curfew. Are you happy to continue?"
She put on a small professional smile to Elijah. "Since you brought them, I will put my faith in you. You've always been respectable to the girls here. You may all enter and I'll explain this place and the rules, since I do have a room. We can discuss payment afterwards." Her head turned slightly to look at them before she began to walk.
The inside was nice made of a dark wood for the walls and elegant floral wallpaper. She moved slowly and kept looking back to make certain they followed closely behind. "As Constable Crane told you, I am Helen Clarke. I've ran this place since my mother decided to retire four years ago. She built this place after suffering a lot of cruelty from the town when she came here with child and no husband. She had been married but my father died during their travels. It took inviting the priest who married them to prove her story and let her regain some dignity. Since then she has made a sanctuary for women who would need it, for whatever reason. We do not allow degenerate behavior though. No boys are allowed inside unless it is a doctor or relative. If it is a relative the door to their room remains open at all times. We ask women not to stay out past curfew of 10 o'clock. And I think that is far more than fair. If you try to return home later you best have a very good excuse or it may be a strike on your record. Three strikes and you are out."
She gestured around as they found a parlor with a few chairs and table as well as a bookshelf full of a variety of books. The woman then guided them to the dining room which was bigger and made to hold around twenty people, they could see a modest kitchen from the door on the opposite side. Her hand gestured to a door that was on the opposite end of the hallway with a view to the living room and stairs up. "That is my room, I always stay up until after curfew. Are you happy to continue?"
